Have a Sweet Tooth? Maybe Blame Your Genes

Ever find yourself fantasizing about decadent sweets on the last few miles of your run? Some of us can't wait (me included!) to get our hands on a caramel ice cream brownie sundae!

But some of my runner friends find their teeth aching at the mere thought of an indulgence as sweet as that. Countless people also avoid treats believing that eating them causes your body to crave more sugary foods. However, a recent study proposes that your genes might be responsible for your perception of sweet.

The researchers selected a sample of 1,901 adolescents and young adults between the ages of 12 and 26 years. The sample included 243 pairs of identical twins, 452 pairs of fraternal twins, and 511 unpaired individuals. The researchers asked the participants to taste and rate the sweetness intensity of four sweeteners: glucose, fructose, aspartame, and neohesperidine dihydrochalcone (NHDC). Glucose and fructose are natural sugars that supply calories, while aspartame and NHDC are synthetic, non-caloric sweeteners.

The study found a common genetic factor appeared to be responsible for more than 75 percent of the genetic variance in the four sweeteners. This suggests the differences in perceived sweet intensity are due to a single set of genes. The variation in sweet perception may lead those born with a weak sweet perception to sprinkle more sugar on their strawberries to achieve the same level of sweetness as others.

The researchers also discovered a shared environment had little influence on sweet perception. Assuming the twin pairs ate similar foods during childhood, this result questions the belief that eating foods with high sugar content makes people insensitive to sweetness and causes them to eat more sugar.

Although it seems sweetness perception may be due to genetics, it's still important to consume less than 10 percent of total daily calories from added sugars. The FDA is currently considering setting a Daily Value for added sugars and noting amounts on food labels.

Got a sweet tooth? These options will satisfy your craving while offering a nutritional boost:

Fresh and dried fruit
Both options are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. When choosing dried fruit, stick with unsweetened and watch the serving size (no more than ¼ cup) since the calories can add up fast.

Fruit popsicles
Make your own with fresh or frozen fruit and 100 percent fruit juice. Pour into a mold, freeze, and enjoy. You can also purchase popsicles, but read the ingredient list to make sure they contain mostly real fruit and not added sugars.